


When I look at the stars, I think of you

by zendrella



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Established Relationship, M/M, Stargazing, Stars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:15:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26685748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zendrella/pseuds/zendrella
Summary: 5 times Richie saw the stars in Eddie +1 time he saw Eddie in the stars.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	When I look at the stars, I think of you

**Author's Note:**

> This is my entry for the Reddie zine Our Memories! THANK YOU to the mods for picking me for this amazing zine, thank you to all of the other collaborators for your incredible additions, and thank you SO much to my friend Matt for collaborating with me on this fic! One of their entries for the zine was a drawing based on the third part of this little fic, and you can find it on [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/CFp-CPjlg9N/?igshid=1jloiwwxs86r7) and on [tumblr](https://punkyiggy.tumblr.com/post/630450299064172544/when-i-look-at-the-stars-i-think-of-you)!
> 
> If anyone is interested in buying the zine, there are a few [leftover copies on the Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/shop/ReddieZine)!

**_i_**.

“Eds!” Richie hisses and taps at the window again. “Goddammit, Spaghetti, open up!”

Eddie’s face appears on the other side of the glass a second later, his hair tousled and one of Richie’s hoodies hanging from his shoulders.

“I’m coming!” he whispers as he opens the window. He makes quick work of jumping out on the roof and following Richie down the nearby ladder.

“God, this week has been a nightmare,” Eddie complains as he catches up to Richie and they walk side by side the short distance from Eddie’s house to the edge of the forest. “I hate being away from you guys.”

Richie chuckles and holds out his hand for Eddie to take. “So do we.”

Eddie takes his hand and stays close as they step into the forest, leaving the streetlights’ glow. Far above them, through an opening in the trees, the stars twinkle in the darkness. Richie smiles to himself as he recognizes various constellations. He’s always loved the stars, and walking through the forest, hand in hand with Eddie, he loves them even more. He spots the North Star, and when he looks at the boy next to him, he could swear that he sees it reflected in Eddie’s eyes.

**_ii_**.

Eddie giggles as Richie spins him, and Richie would twirl him around forever if it meant hearing that sound every time he did. He grins and pulls Eddie back, catching his waist to continue their dance.

The low music from the gym seems to fade away as they go from a simple slow dance to an attempt at a waltz. Richie curses under his breath as Eddie steps on his feet for the third time, drawing another giggle from his boyfriend. “Don’t be such a wimp, Rich.”

“I thought you’d appreciate that I, as a guy, am not afraid to show emotion,” Richie jokes and spins Eddie again.

“I do,” Eddie says, keeping a firm grip on Richie’s hand. He spins back and wraps his free arm around Richie’s neck, pulling him close. “But that can’t possibly have hurt.”

Richie leans down and presses a kiss to Eddie’s cheek. “You know me, Eds. Ever the drama queen.”

Eddie laughs and turns his head to kiss Richie properly. “God, I know,” he says. “‘Hey, Eds, let’s dance in the parking lot where no one at prom can see us being gay and in love!’”

Richie grins and kisses Eddie again. “Aww, you’re in love with me?”

“Yes,” Eddie says without a trace of hesitation.

His answer nearly catches Richie off guard and he has to focus not to trip over himself. Instead of replying, he moves his left hand to Eddie’s lower back and leans him backward.

“You did not just _dip me_ ,” Eddie deadpans, but his smile betrays him as he looks up at Richie, who looks back down at him with a matching smile.

“I love you too, Eddie.”

Just before they lean in to kiss again, Richie spots the Big Dipper right above Eddie. It glows bright in the night sky, shining over them in their secret dance.

**_iii_**.

“I’m going to miss you.”

Eddie’s voice is barely more than a whisper as his confession leaves him where he sits cuddled up to Richie on the roof just outside the former’s bedroom window. His small act of rebellion after being all but grounded for not telling his mom he had a cold last week.

“I wish you didn’t have to leave,” he continues. “At least for another year.”

Richie pulls Eddie closer and presses a kiss into his hair. “You’ll be okay, Eds.” He looks up at the stars, looking for familiar constellations. He spots Draco, with Hercules standing on top of it.

“But what if I won’t?” Eddie sits up, turning to look at Richie. “What if I can’t live without you?”

“Bullshit.” Richie lifts his hands up and cups Eddie’s face. “You can, Eddie. And it’s not like it’s forever.”

Eddie doesn’t look convinced, but he relaxes when Richie pulls him into a hug.

“You’re stronger than you think, Eddie,” he says softly. “You’re the strongest and bravest person I know. You’re my hero.”

Hercules seems to shine brighter above them as Eddie smiles into Richie’s shoulder and wraps his arms around his waist.

“Thank you.”

**_iv_**.

Out in the fields of the Hanlon farm, every single star in the sky is visible to the naked eye. Richie’s eyes are fixed on them as he watches the Perseids meteor shower. Eddie stirs next to him, something clearly on his mind.

The fourth time Eddie opens and then closes his mouth before he can speak, Richie looks away from the shooting stars to look at Eddie. “What is it?”

“I don’t want you to forget me.”

Richie props himself up on his elbow and looks down at the other boy. “How could I ever forget you, Eds?”

“Bill did,” Eddie says quietly. “And Beverly. Have we heard anything from them since that summer?”

“I won’t forget you,” Richie insists. “I won’t.”

Eddie nods, but he avoids Richie’s attempt at eye contact and looks up at the Perseids. Richie gives up and lies down, taking Eddie’s hand in his, not saying anything else as their remaining days together fall away as inevitably as the shooting stars.

**_v_**.

Richie turns to look at his friends after loading the last of his stuff into his truck. He sends them a smile, ignoring the sadness written on their faces. He hugs them one by one, and Bill and Beverly’s absence has never been more painful. He lingers in his hug with Stan, who doesn’t say anything as he turns away. Richie hears him sniffle, and he understands. This sucks.

By the time Richie’s dad finally comes out of the house and climbs into the driver’s seat, all of the Losers have left. Except for Eddie.

Richie barely has time to say anything before Eddie throws his arms around him again. 

“Seeya later, alligator.”

Richie lets out a broken laugh and tightens his arms around Eddie’s waist.

“After a while, crocodile.”

They finally let go of each other when Went calls Richie’s name, and soon Richie’s in the passenger seat and the truck is pulling out of the Toziers’ driveway. It’s so early in the August morning that the stars are still out, and Richie finds his gaze drawn to them. The Milky Way stretches across the sky from the south, the same direction Richie is headed.

He turns around and sees Eddie still standing in the road, his eyes fixed on the car. Richie lets his tears fall as he smiles and raises a hand in a wave. He sees Eddie do the same, and he feels the scar on his left hand sting as the car turns a corner, leaving Eddie and Derry behind.

**_+1_ **

_We gotta get him out of here! I can’t leave him!_

Richie grips the railing of the balcony and tilts his head back to keep the tears from falling.

He doesn’t have to cry. Eddie is okay. They got him out. Neibolt fell apart around them and Eddie’s limp body was heavy between Richie and Mike, but they got him out, and he survived. He’s _okay_.

A tear manages to slip through Richie’s closed eyes despite his efforts, and he lets out a sigh as he gives up and opens his eyes, looking up at the night sky. He smiles despite himself as he recalls his last summer in Derry. His last summer with Eddie.

He feels a hand on his shoulder, and when he turns around, he is greeted with Eddie’s gentle smile. He smiles back and puts an arm around Eddie’s waist. “Hey, you.”

“Hi,” Eddie says and leans into Richie’s embrace. “What’s troubling you?”

Richie takes a deep breath, feeling all of his worries wash away and being replaced with the feel of Eddie’s body against his, the steady beat of his heart, proof that he’s alive.

“Nothing,” he says, and he means it.

Eddie hums and looks up at the sky. “Buying a house in the countryside was a great idea,” he says quietly. “So many stars.”

Richie looks up as well and smiles. “Yeah.” He leans his head against Eddie’s and takes the shorter man’s hand in his own, intertwining their fingers. “Brings back a lot of memories.”

The twinkle of the stars above them reminds him of the man next to him. He has always seen stars in Eddie. He has always seen the bright and kind guy that Eddie is, but for the first time, he looks at the stars, and he sees Eddie in them. He sees their story, written in the sky, spread across constellations and galaxies for the whole universe to see.


End file.
